Financial aid refers to funding intended to help students pay tuition or other costs, such as room and board, for education at a college, university, or private school. General governmental funding for public education is not called financial aid, which refers to awards to specific individual students. A scholarship is sometimes used as a synonym for a financial aid award.

Financial Aid Information: Inside
[ Types ] [ In the U.S. ] [ FAFSA ] [ FSEOG ] [ Websites ]

Student loans are loans offered to students to assist in payment of the costs of professional education. These loans usually carry lower interests than other loans, and are usually issued by the government.

Student Loan Information: Inside
[ Loans for Higher Education ] [ Private Student Loans ]
[ Disbursement ] [ Perkins Loan ] [ Stafford Loan ]
[ College Consolidation Loan ] [ PLUS Loan ] [ Websites ]

A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual (a "scholar") for the purposes of furthering their education. A scholarship may be awarded based on range of criteria, which usually reflect the views or purposes of the donor or founder of the award.

Another meaning of “scholarship“ is the pursuit of a research subject, usually in arts or humanities (as opposed to science). In both scholarly and scientific fields, the word “scholarship“ is used to mean deep mastery of a research subject, often achieved through university studies.

Scholarship Information: Inside
[ Types ] [ Obtaining ] [ HOPE Scholarship ]
[ Bright Futures Scholarship ] [ Bright Flight ]
[ B.N. Duke Scholars ] [ America's Junior Miss ]
[ Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange ] [ Fulbright Program ]
[ National Merit Scholarship Program ] [ Websites ]

A grant is money given to an individual or an organization that does not hold an obligation of repayment. In that respect, it differs from a loan, and does not incur any debt or interest. Grants can be given out by foundations and governments. Grants to individuals can be either scholarships or donations to non-profit organizations. Other grants include intergovernmental grants which are used to correct fiscal imbalances between different levels of government. Many federations use these grants to correct imbalances between taxing and spending across different levels of government.

Project grants are awarded competitively. Project grants are the most common form of grant and a large number are found in scientific research, technology development, education (such as Federal Pell Grants), social services, the arts and health care.

[ Pell Grant ]